For years, winter was the time when kids ran to the window to see the snow and hoped their parents got an email saying school was canceled for the day. They sat in front of the TV while their grandparents watched “WTAJ,” waiting for their school’s name to pop up with a two-hour delay message to follow.
This seemed to be a normal routine during the cold months. Until the pandemic in 2020 changed the course of everything to follow.
“It was right after the pandemic,” principal Andrew Neely said. “Everyone realized during that time that we were able to deliver instruction remotely, and once the state saw that it was possible, they were willing to authorize this so that they can preserve our calendar and not have to add days on at the end of the year.”
When students hear the talk of a possible Flexible Instruction Day, they get anxious waiting for the announcement, but Superintendent Brad Hatch has to get involved in a lengthy process for this to happen.
“We want to make sure that we give enough notice to our staff, students and families because we realize that having a school day off is a challenge for a lot of people because you might have to have childcare or other considerations,” Hatch said. “Myself and the other superintendents locally will talk throughout the day, attend webinars given by the National Weather Service and get recommendations from our transportation company and Logan Township. They play a big role in this because they’re going to have to be out on the roads, getting kids to and from school, and we have a big population of kids that are walking to school. We want to make sure that it’s safe for kids to walk because if they can’t walk on sidewalks, then they have to go on the streets. That’s a dangerous situation for everyone.”
Some kids look forward to FID, while others hate them. Seniors Abigail Miller and Emma Kianka have different outlooks on these situations.
“Growing up, snow days were the best thing to have. You would go play in the snow and not have any work to do,” Miller said. “FIDs are beneficial when it comes to not having to make up the days at the end of the year, but younger kids don’t get to experience what snow days are and how exciting they are. Even though most of us don’t like to go play in the snow anymore, snow days would give us a day to be carefree from school. FIDs should be given now and then, but I think we need to bring snow days back.”
“FIDs are like a refresher for me. I get my work done quicker than I would on a regular school day. I like having short classes and then leaving and getting it done before the school day ends,” Kianka said.
Along with having to keep up with what local weather services are saying about the incoming storms, the school must apply for a Flexible Instruction Day through the state.
“The school district has to apply to the state so that we’re authorized to use them. The superintendent does that,” Neely said. “I believe what he has to do is demonstrate that we can successfully deliver instruction remotely. Not every school is as fortunate as we are that all kids have a device that they take home. After getting approved by the state, the only stipulation is we have to notify everyone the day before.”
Hatch believes the staff helps to create a useful school day, even if it’s spent in the comfort of a couch.
“We have requirements in the way that we structure FID so that kids are getting a day of education,” Hatch said. “We’re accustomed to that having been through COVID-19, and it’s a valuable tool that allows us to not extend school years. When I first started my career, we had storms, and the school year extended into the end of June, which I don’t think anybody wants. It’s a win-win for students and families because they don’t have to worry about changing plans and we’re still getting a quality day of education.”
In school, everyone is used to the same environment. At home, the things that surround you can be completely different from the people on the other end of the google meet.
“When we have online work I try to keep my schedule the same,” Kianka said. “I get up and sign in for homeroom and check all my classes and see which ones will have a zoom call. I get on the call for those classes and when I don’t have a zoom meeting I use the extra time to complete my work for the other teachers.”
“I struggle with completing my work when we have FIDs. I join the classes, but I have no motivation to do the work. This sets me back because I could be doing the work during the assigned class period but I wait until the end of the night to do it instead,” Miller said.
As of now, the state only allows for five Flexible Instruction Days a year. The school has already used up four of the five. There is no way around this.
“They hold us to a pretty high standard when it comes to how many days of school we have, so unless they change the policy, then we are only able to have five. They might if there were certain circumstances out of the ordinary but that would be a conversation to have in a meeting,” Neely said.
